Dragonfly Song

Dragonfly Song

There are two ways of looking at Aissa's story. She's the miracle girl who escaped the raiders. Or she's the cursed child who called the Bull King's ship to the island. The firstborn daughter of a priestess is cast out as a baby, and after raiders kill her adopted family, she is abandoned at the gates of the Great Hall, anonymous and mute. Called No-Name, the cursed child, she is raised a slave, and not until she is 12 does she learn her name is Aissa: the dragonfly. Now every year the Bull King takes a tribute from the island: two 13-year-old children to brave the bloody bull dances in his royal court. None have ever returned--but for Aissa it is the only escape. Aissa is resilient, resourceful, and fast--but to survive the bull ring, she will have to learn the mystery of her true nature.

Awards

Joint Winner of the 2017 Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Children's Fiction. Short-listed for WA Young Readers' Book Award - Younger Readers 2017 (Australia) and CBCA Book of the Year 2017 (Australia).

Author description

Wendy Orr was born in Edmonton, Canada, but grew up in various places across Canada, France and the USA. She started writing for children after a career as an occupational therapist. She's the author of many award-winning books, including Nim's Island, Nim at Sea, Raven's Mountain and Peeling the Onion.